Machine for making watch-cases



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A.. E. SPANGLER'." Maohinefor'Making Watch-Gases. l No. 238,007.

A Patented Feb. 22; 1881-' I 3 Sheetsf-Sheet 2.

A. E. S--P'ANGLERQ Maohinefor-Ma'king Watch Cas-es'.Y l No. 238,007; y Patented Feb.. 22, 1881.V

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UNITED STATES ALBERT E. SPANGLER,

PATENT OEEICE.,

OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

MACHINE FOR MAKING WATCH-CASES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,007', dated February 22, 1881.

` Application led September 2, 1879.

To all whom it may concern: A

Be it known that I, ALBERT EDWARD SPAN- GLER, of the city of Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, State of Ohio, have invented a new and usefullmprovement in the Method of Making Watch-Cases, andin Machinery for Manufacturing the Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of watch-cases. lts object is to produce a stronger and better case than has been heretofore made, at a less cost of labor and material.

rlhe invent-ion consists, first, in certain dies, in combination with a separable removable core, for constructing the backs, fronts, and centers of watch-cases of single pieces of metal Withoutjointsmith the snaps 7 upon the fronts and backs andthe snap-bearin gs upon the centers completely formed.

It consists, also, of a new process for forming the backs; and it finally consists in certain combinations, set forth in claims, in a machine Which. adapt it to the manufacture of my improved backs, fronts, and centers.

The inventionwill be fully described in the following specication, in connection with the drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Heretofore the fronts and backs of watchcases have been made by stamping a disk of metal up to a concave-convex shape, then soldering another piece, usually a wire formed into a ring, around the upturned edge, and finally turning this ring olf to form the snap.

In order to obtain the requisite amount of have also been struck up complete with snapbearings 5 but my dies and machinery used to accomplish this `end differ from those heretofore known.

In the accompanying drawings similar letters of reference indicate identical parts in the various gures.

Figure l is a perspective view of my improved machine, one of the turret-heads being b roken away to expose the spring-stop. Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, are vertical sectional views of the different formin g-dies for the backs and fronts. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the machine altered and adapted to form the snap by spinning instead of stamping it over, asin the preferred form shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the revolving turret or head. Fig. 9 is an axial section of my center, and Figs. 10 to A13, inclusive, 4are detached vertical section Views of the core and dies for forming the same. Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the core for forming case backs and fronts, and Fig. l5 is a similar view of the center-forming core.

A represents the Trame of the machine; B, the driving-shaft. Upon. this .is secured the driving-pulley C, driving-pinion D, and ilywheel E. The pinion D meshes into a cog, F, journaled loosely upon shaft Gr, which operates a plunger, H, by means `of a wheel and crank-pin secured upon the front end of shaft Gr. The shaft Gr is revolved by a clutch or coupling, I, one member of which is secured to the `shaft G and its opposite member to the cogwheel F. A rod, J, is used to throw the two parts of the coupling in gear, and a spiral spring disconnects the coupling so soon as the `rod J is released. i

The bed of the machine beneath the plunger H is bored out to receive the female die K, which is of the proper shape to form backs and fronts of Watch-cases, which die is supplemented by a ring, L, Fig. 2, that has an offset or recess turned in its upper side to receive the blank disk M, from which the backs and fronts are formed.

The revolving turret, which carries the male back and snap forming dies, is fitted to turn upon a4 stud or pin, N, (plainly shown in Fig. 8,)which is secured in a projecting portion of the bed of the machine. The lower part of this pin is eccentric to the upper or journal part, this provision being made for the purpose ofadjusting the revolving head or turret to bring the centers of the upper dies directly over the center of the female die in the bed of the machine. l am thus enabled to compensate for slight inaccuracies in tting the parts together.

The revolving head or turret consists of a sleeve, O, which is centrally bored to fit over the pin N, upon which it turns, and arms extending from the top of the sleeve carry hubs P at their outer ends to receive the stems ofthe upper forming-dies. The hubs P are slotted vertically to permit the springs Q, which enter the stems of the upper dies, to pass downward when the dies are depressed by plunger H. The opposite ends of these springs, which return the dies to and retain them in their elevated position after they are released from the action of the plunger, are secured to the revolving head. There are four of these upper forming dies, secured by their stems and springs Q to the revolving head. The first one, R, is ofthe form now usuallyemployed to stamp up backs and fronts of cases, except that the head is of a little greater dimension in vertical section, so as to turn up enough of metal to form the snap. The other dies of the series, Figs. 4, 5, and 6, are concave or cup-shaped, so as to permit the clamping-plug V, Figs. 4 and 14, to enter the cavity. The inner and lower edge of die S has considerable of a bevel, so that when it is brought down upon the npturned edge of the partially-formed back or front it will give the edge abend inward. The die T has less of a bevel, so as to nearly turn down this edge, and the die U has its lower edge hat, so as to completely turn the edge 'down and thus complete the snap.

The core W, Fig. 14, is sectional, of a-shape, when the parts are put together, to neatly fit within the perfectly-formed case. In making it, it is first turned up of a single piece with a centrally-bored hub upon its upper side to it into a groove turned in the clamping-plug piece V, after which it is divided, so that the parts may be separately removed from the formed back or front. If divided radially, enough metal should be cut away to permit one of the pieces to be slipped toward the center when the clamping-piece is removed to free its edge from the overturned snap. The clamping-piece V has pins projecting from its periphery, which enter the slots formed by cutting away the metal, and retain the pieces of Win their norm al position. The smallslot thus left in the core-piece W will notinterfere with the proper format-ion ofthe snap; but even this opening may be avoided by dividing the core in the manner shown in Fig. l-that is, by cutting one of the pieces slightly wedgeshaped, the largest end of the wedge being at the hub.

X is a spring-catch, the bolt of which passes through lugs projectin g up from an arm of bed A, and which, by entering any one of a series of perforations in the base of sleeve O, stops the revolution of the series of dies at a point that insures to one of the dies of the series a position directly over the female die, and in position to be acted upon by the plunger H.

I will now describe the different steps in my process of forming my backs and fronts by stamping.

A disk of metal, of the proper gage and size, is rst placed Within the offset in ring L. (The machine being in the position shown in Fig. 1.) The machine is started by pulling forward the rod J, throwing the coupling I into gear, and causing thc dic R to descend and force the disk through the ring L into the female die K. The clutch is held in gear long enough to permit the shaft G to make one revolution, which forces the die R down and elevates the plunger totheposition shown in Fig. 1. The die being carried up by the spring Q, the bolt of catch X is now withdrawn, and the turret is moved slightly to the left, when the ring L is removed and the core, Fig. 14, inserted. The turret is now turned to the right until the bolt of catch X enters thc second hole in the sleeve 0. This brings the die S beneath the plunger H; the machine is again started, bringing down die S, which starts the turn of the'snap. (See Fig. 4.) The catch is again withdrawn and the turret revolved to bring die T under the plunger. This die nearly turns the metal down upon the core W, Fig. 5. By a similar operation the die U is brought under the plunger, and by it the metal is pressed down flat upon the core W, which completes the snap. In Figs. 4 and 5 the core is not shown, it being omitted from the drawings to more clearly show the formation of the dies. The core, with the formed back or front upon it. is now removed from the die K, the clamp V pulled of, when, by moving one of the pieces of W toward the center, the core is removed, the rin g L, with another disk in it,is replaced upon the female die, and the die It brought to the position shown in Fig. 1,preparatoryto another operation.

The watch-case center, Fig. 9, is struck up from a flat ring of metal. The process of for1ning the center is as follows: The female die K, Figs. 11 and 12, is placed in the bed of the machine, and the upper forming-dies, R', S', and T', secured in the turret-arms in place of the dies R, S, and T, Fig. 1. Only three forming-dies are required in the turret. A blank is placed in ring L, which is then placed upon the die K', Fig. 11. The machine is started, and the die It' forces the blank through the ring. The blank and ring are then removed, and the center-formingcore, Fig. 15, is inserted in the partially-formed center. The core, with the center inverted, is placed in the next die, S', which is now brought under the plunger and the latter forced down upon it. This brings the center to a U shape in vertical section. The core and partially-formed blank is now removed from the die S' and the core withdrawn. The partially-formed center is now annealed by heating, and a core of the exact size and shape of the interior of the perfectly-formed center, Figs. 9 and 13, is inserted. The die X is replaced by die K2, which,

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like the upper die, T', is of the exact shape and size of one-half ot' the formed center, which dies, pressing the metal between them, as seen at Fig. 13, perfectly form the snap-bearings and the center bead, and at the same time harden the metal. The core is removed in the same manner as the back and front core, already described. I thus make a perfectlyformed case-center without surplus metal, and

as it is of uniform thickness and corrugated in` vertical cross-section it has more elasticity or spring, and a closer and better jointbetween the parts of the case is obtained.

An advantage, not before adverted to, of my separable core is thatthe backs, fronts, and centers may be turned and stoned upon it, to which end the clamping-plug is inserted in the lathe-chuck, and, the interior of the shell being completely filled by the core, a firm support is obtained against the action of the lathe-tool.

I am thus enabled to do better work than can be done by the common mode, and save the time and trouble now'required to adjust the cases upon the common chucks.

Fig. 7 shows a different combination of mechanism, which may be used to advantage to spin over the snaps of backs and fronts made of light material or of composition. Y is a centering-arm hung upon the frame of the machine, and Z is a lever fulcrumed upon studpin N, the revolving turret being removed. The stem of die K is extended downward, the lower end resting upon a treadle. This ste'ln or shaft is provided with a tight and a loose pulley, and is revolved by a belt from a pulley upon a vertical counter-shaft at the rear of the machine. This counter-shaft is driven by bevel-cogs, one of which is secured to it and the other upon shaft B. The male die It is in this case secured to plunger G.

The operation of the machine so changed is as follows: The arm Y being turned'aside, the ring L, containing a blank, is placed upon the female die and the plunger brought down toform the belly of the case. The ring is removed, the core inserted, and the arm Yturned with its centering-pin, which revolves in its bearing directly over a countersunk depression in the top center of the core-plug'. The parts are now in the position represented in Fig. 7. By pressing down the treadle the die is elevated, bringing the belt upon the tight pulley. .The snap is now spun over by turning lever Z to bring the revolving cone-shaped Wheel, which is journaled in one of its arms, against and over the edge of the back or front held between the core and female revolving die.

It is understood that the back and front of a watch-case are of the same shape and are formed in the saine manner by the same means.

It will be seen that I contemplate forming by successive steps a watch-case back in its entirety from the rst formation of the blank, and that the blank is not given a preliminary inward bend, nor is it previously beveled, bent, or compressed; and that, also, I do not form the back by turning its edgeinward and swaging it down at a single operation 5 and so far as these preliminary steps and the completion of the snap at a single operation of the machine are comprised in the method of, first, forming the blank by compression with the general form of a watch-case back, second, insei-tin g into said blank a male die which is detachable from a finished snap, and,third,turn l ing the edge of said blank inward and swaging it down upon said male die to form the tinished snap, I disclaim the same; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the male and female dies, sectional cores W, and clamping--piece V, substantially as described.

2. The method of formingawatch-case back with aI complete and finished snap from. a sheetmetal blank, substantially as before set forth, consisting of the following steps, viz: rst, pressing the blank into a cup-shaped form; second, inserting a separable core or die therein; third, giving preliminary successive inward bends to the upturned edge of the cupshaped blank; and, fourth, swaging the inwardly-bent edge down upon the separable core or die. Y

3. In a watch-case-stamping press, the combination, substantially as set forth, of the plunger, the revoluble head or turret, consisting ot' 4a central sleeve with radiating arms, and the forming-dies held in said arms and movable successively under the plunger.

4. In a watch-case-stampin g press, the coinbination, substantially as set forth, of the plunger, the revoluble head or turret, consisting of a central sleeve with radiating arms, and the forming-dies held in said arms and movable successively under the plunger, and spring-stop, as X, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination of the turret-pin N, having eccentric journal, the revoluble turret or head, having slotted die-holding sockets, the series of dies, and the springs Q, connecting said dies and turrets, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, substantially as before set forth, ofthe eccentrically-journaled pin, the revoluble head or turret, and the reciprocating plunger.

7. The combination ofthe upper or exterior forming-dies, a female die, and the rabbeted ring L fitted thereto, said ring being removable for the purpose of exposing the upturned edge of the metal to the action ot the exterior forming-dies, as specified.

ALBERT EDVARD SPANGLER.

Witnesses:

GHAs. F. GEssERT, FERDINAND SCHULZ.

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